Like last year, I thought I’d post my thoughts about the BBC’s Short Story of the Year competition. If you’re not familiar with it, this award is open stories that have previously been published or authors who have a track … Continue reading →

A couple of weeks I stumbled upon a list of “53 ways to improve your short stories”, published as part of the promotion for a new collection of stories by the Irish writer Thomas Morris. It’s quite a long list, … Continue reading →

In an office full of eccentrics, Paul seemed relatively sane by comparison. There were no comedy ties, no opening of meetings with a commentary on Jimmy Webb lyrics, or extreme exercise or dietary regimes. But what he did have, was a … Continue reading →

Although I’m not getting much writing done myself at the moment, my commute to work means that I still have the time to read, and I’ve just finished reading Colin Barrett’s collection of short stories, Young Skins. One of my … Continue reading →

I hear the song all the time. It’s there when I turn on the radio in the morning, Simon Mayo cheerfully introducing it on Radio One. I turn over to Capital to avoid it, but they’re playing it as well. … Continue reading →